The Best Children’s and YA Books of February

by the Brightly Editors

Long, cold winter days call for plenty of books! Reading stories with your kids or giving them time and space to curl up with a book is an excellent way to spend these last few weeks of winter. Need some reading recommendations? We’ve got you covered. From picture books to novels, here are February’s best children’s and young adult books.

  • YA

  • Stardust in Their Veins

    by Laura Sebastian

    Available from:

    Find a comfortable spot because once you crack open the gritty sequel to Castles In Their Bones, you won’t be able to set it down. Three princesses join neighboring kingdoms, intending to expand their mother’s empire. Now, one princess is dead, and the remaining two sisters have plans that don’t include their mother’s schemes. YA readers will obsess over this dark fantasy series about ambition, manipulation, sisterhood, and true love.

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  • When You Wish Upon a Lantern

    by Gloria Chao

    Available from:

    Reach for this book the next time you’re in the mood for a feel-good YA romance. With her family’s lantern store in trouble, Liya and her ex-best friend Kai team up to grant people’s wishes, hoping to boost sales. As the teens work together, they mend their friendship and fall in love despite the many factors pulling them apart. This sweet story will make any romance reader’s heart happy.

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  • Imposter Syndrome and Other Confessions of Alejandra Kim

    by Patricia Park

    Available from:

    Alejandra feels like she doesn’t fit in at school, at home, or in her neighborhood. So, when an incident at school pushes her into the spotlight, she must learn to embrace herself and her multicultural heritage. This thoughtful novel tackles authenticity, racism, self-acceptance, and fitting in.

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  • Chaos Theory

    by Nic Stone

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    Nic Stone is the go-to author when you need to ugly-cry about fictional characters. In her latest novel, she tackles issues that modern teens deal with — mental health, addiction, first love, and grief. When Shelbi recognizes the intense pain Andy is experiencing, she befriends him, and they quickly fall in love. But both teens have a past that soon threatens to destroy their budding relationship.

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  • The Island

    by Natasha Preston

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    Hair-raising chills combine with the glamorous world of influencers in this creepy novel from the bestselling author of The Lake and The Twin. Six teenage influencers get invited to an exclusive, all-expenses-paid weekend at an island resort. It sounds almost too good to be true. But once they reach the island, their luxurious vacation turns deadly.

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  • Nightbirds

    by Kate J. Armstrong

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    Corruption, secrets, and magical kisses — this new feminist fantasy novel is everything YA readers crave! The Nightbirds are girls with magical abilities caught in a system designed to control them and their powers. But when the girls discover that influential people’s lies have imprisoned them, they will stop at nothing to win their freedom.

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